"Lupus & Healthy, Summer Skin"

In honor of Lupus Awareness Month, I’ve decided to provide our beautiful readers who are living with Lupus with a few tips on how to enjoy the summer sun while being mindful of their delicate skin. According to the Lupus Foundation of America, Lupus is a chronic, autoimmune disease that can damage any part of the body. Autoimmune basically means an individual’s immune system cannot tell the difference between foreign invaders of their body and its healthy tissues; therefore, it creates auto-antibodies that attack and destroy healthy tissue. A symptom of Lupus is extreme, skin sensitivity to light. This can result in the appearance of rashes or skin lesions. These markings can be subtle or quite noticeable but should always be taken care of properly. With summer right around the corner, the lure of teeny bikinis and relaxing afternoons at the park may affect your better judgment.

- Try your best to reduce your skin’s exposure to direct sunlight. I know this may
sound like a hard task for summer, but the long term effects could be dangerous to
your skin and overall health. Also, be aware of some forms of artificial light.
Fluorescent and halogen bulbs produce UV light that can be very harsh on the skin
of people with any form of Lupus.


- WEAR SUNSCREEN! As someone living with Lupus, you should already know that too
much exposure to the sun is a big no-no. Wearing sunscreen year-round should
already be part of your daily skin care routine, but consider increasing the SPF
level you usually use in the upcoming summer months. One easy way to do this is by
using a moisturizer with a higher than usual SPF. Some say anything over SPF 15 is
good, but I’ve heard great things about Health Defense Daily Moisturizer SPF 50 –
Sensitive, which protects against UVA and UVB rays (as all of your moisturizers
should). Plus, it only cost about $14 at your local drug store.

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